A Cataract Canyon rafting trip down the Colorado River is synonymous with adventure. Deep in the heart of Utah’s Canyonlands National Park, the mighty Colorado flows through a red rock wonderland and over some of the most awesome cataracts (old-fashioned word for waterfalls!) in the American Southwest. Our oar-powered rafts carry you into the most remote, least-accessible parts of the park, where you can choose to hike into narrow side canyons with cascading streams, along rocky saddles with sweeping views, and near ancient cultural sites. On this iconic river rafting trip, we are privileged to experience both ultimate tranquility and all-out adventure.
Moving quietly at first, the river invites you to embrace the concept of river time as we slide easily past crimson-colored cliffs and orange table-top mesas. The word “Colorado” means “red”, this red, the red of the rocks, sand, and (sometimes!) water with which you are surrounded. It’s never been so easy to unplug and let go as in these calm waters above the confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers.
Once beyond the confluence, however, the river does not rest. Nowhere on its entire course does the Colorado River descend more precipitously than through Cataract Canyon. The roar of the cataracts will lull you to sleep, dance in your dreams, and awaken you the next morning with a different invitation. Time to batten down the hatches and hold on because this is Cataract Canyon whitewater rafting at its best. Over thirty big ones, among them Mile Long, Ben Hurt and the granddaddy of them all, The Big Drop, a succession of three behemoths that will leave you breathless and cheering as the river drops over 30 feet in less than three-quarters of a mile.
Learn more about this amazing place in our Insiders Guide to Cataract Canyon Blog
